Shattered
by MissFiyerabaMeponineSherlock
Summary: It was just an ordinary day at École Sécondaire Jean-Jacques Rousseau... Or was it? Modern Day AU.


**So this randomly popped into my head and I just had to write it, so here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Les Mis or the characters.**

It started off as a perfectly normal day. Students took their buses or walked to École Sécondaire Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The sun was high in the sky and it shone brightly, even so early in the morning. The students collected their books for their classes at their lockers and then rushed to class. Everything seemed so... normal.

"Hey, 'Ponine," Marius Pontmercy greeted his best friend as he met her outside of their English classroom. The bell had yet to ring, so classes hadn't started yet. "Did you study for the test on A Midsummer Night's Dream?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she replied, a grin forming on her gaunt–though still pretty–face, "though I think I already have the entire play memorised."

"I wouldn't doubt it." he laughed. Then he noticed a bruise on Éponine's neck that had not been there the day before. "'Ponine, what happened?" he asked, alarmed. She hastened to cover the bruise.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Was it your father again?"

"What? N-No... Of course not... Really, it's–"

"Hey guys. "said a tinkling, bell-like voice. Both turned to face Cosette, who was now standing next to Marius.

"Hey." Marius replied, turning to smile at his girlfriend. He greeted her with a one-armed hug. Éponine felt her heart break a little more than it already was. She loved Marius and she had for a long time. It was hardly fair that, one day, Cosette came into Marius' life and they immediately started dating. Cosette was beautiful, there was no doubting it. She had straight, blonde hair that reached just past her shoulders. Her eyes were a periwinkle blue and were framed with long, blonde eyelashes that were normally darkened by mascara.

Though, it must be noted, that wasn't to say that Éponine was not beautiful. She was very beautiful, but also very poor. All of her clothes were too big for her and were riddled with holes. She weighed a lot less than she should have, and she couldn't afford make-up. Her beauty was entirely natural. She had large, hazel eyes that were framed by thick, dark lashes, and her hair was a rich, auburn colour that reached past her waist. Her hair was more often tangled than not, but that was because the only brush she owned was old and partly broken.

It was not long before the rest of the class had crowded outside of the English room. They were all quite curious as to why the door to the room had not been unlocked yet. The bell was going to ring any second now.

"Bon matin tout le monde." Madame Lefevre greeted them. They all turned to face her. "This morning, we will be going to the library where you will write your tests. Allons-y."

"I am so going to fail..." Courfeyrac muttered as they walked to the school library.

"Did you study?" Combeferre asked him.

"I read a summary of a Midsummer Night's Dream on Wikipedia."

"I don't think that will help you on the test." Enjolras told him.

"Probably not." Combeferre agreed.

"Oh well." Courfeyrac shrugged.

The library was one of the biggest rooms in the school– perfect for writing tests. Everyone found somewhere to sit where they weren't to close to the person next to them. Madame Lefevre handed out the tests.

"You may begin now."

The only sound in the library was that of pencils scratching on paper.

They were hardly even ten minutes into writing the test when the first gunshot rang out.

Everyone immediately looked up from their tests.

"Under the tables, everyone!" Madame Lefevre ordered. The students did as told. She checked the hallways to see if there were any students out and about. There was one. Unfortunately for her, it was the boy that had decided to bring a gun to school. She left the library, closing the door behind her and discreetly locking it. She acted as if she had been the only one in the library.

"Are there people in there?" the boy, Montparnasse, asked.

"No." she lied.

"Tell me the truth or, I swear to God, I will shoot you."

"There is no one in there."

Montparnasse raised his gun and shot her right in the middle of her forehead. She fell to the ground, never to move again.

Silence reigned.

All of this had been heard by those inside the library.

"She's been shot." Combeferre whispered.

"Oh my God..." Joly breathed.

Cosette cuddled up to Marius, under the table. Marius held her close. She was shaking and crying silently.

"I'm scared." she whispered.

"Shh... it's okay..." he soothed. Éponine watched them silently.

There was a loud bang against the door. Someone was trying to get in. That someone was Montparnasse. There was another loud bang. Finally, he gave up on trying to break the door down and, instead, searched Madame Lefevre's pockets for a key, which he soon found. He unlocked the library door and opened it, stepping inside. Nobody seemed to know him. Nobody except for Éponine.

Montparnasse was the type of student that didn't really have any friends. No one really payed much attention to him, no one ever really talked to him. Éponine had, on occasion, taken pity on him and had lunch with him– or, rather, sat with him during the period in which they had lunch (neither could afford to eat.) Montparnasse had often been bullied for being poor and he'd finally had enough of it. He wanted revenge. Now he was getting it.

He looked around and found one of the boys that had bullied him.

"Get up." he spat at him. The boy did as told. Montparnasse pointed the gun at him. He noticed that he was shaking. "Not so tough now, are you?"

"'Parnasse, stop this." Éponine said, getting up.

"Shut up." he snapped. He pressed the gun to the boy's temple and squeezed the trigger. There were many screams as the boy fell to the ground, dead. Montparnasse looked again for his next victim. His eyes fell on Marius, who was still holding onto Cosette. Marius had never been cruel to him, but Montparnasse envied him. He had so many friends and he had a beautiful girlfriend and he had money. Montparnasse both envied and despised him.

"Up." he hissed at Marius.

"No!" Cosette shrieked.

"I said get up!" Montparnasse shouted at him. He hesitated. "Get up, or I'll shoot your girlfriend." Marius got up, trying to seem unafraid.

"'Parnasse, please, don't do this." Éponine exclaimed.

"I told you to shut up." he growled, pointing the gun at Marius. He fired at him, but the bullet never reached Marius. No, it had been intercepted. Éponine had run in front of him. The bullet was now lodged in her chest. Slowly and painfully, she walked towards Montparnasse.

"Give me the gun." her voice was hardly more than a breath.

"Stay back!" he fired at her, hitting her in the stomach. She barely held back a cry.

"You're better than this, 'Parnasse... Stop this..."

"Shut up!" he cried, shooting her in the shoulder. A gasp of pain escaped her lips. She continued towards him. "You don't know what it's like! You have friends! You aren't all alone!"

"Neither... were... you..."

"I had no one!"

"You had... me... I... could have been... your friend... No one... is... alone..."

"I am."

"You... chose... to be..." she gasped. "I would... have been there... for you... If you... had let me... Now... now you... have... no one... because of this..." she placed her hand on the gun. He pushed her away from him and she finally collapsed, falling to the ground. Marius rushed over to her, kneeling down next to her and gathering her in his arms. She was clearly dying.

"'Ponine..." he whispered.

"Goodbye... Marius..." her eyes closed.

"No... No, don't leave me! Please..." he sobbed. Her eyes opened, revealing the sombre profundity of death.

"I... do believe... that I... was a little bit... in love with you..." With that, she breathed her last breath and became limp in his arms.

"'Ponine..." he gently kissed her forehead and then cradled her dead body.

Montparnasse watched in horror. He had done this... He raised the gun to his own temple and pulled the trigger.


End file.
